Dear Action Line: There is a small, twin-engine jet airline operating between Cortez and Denver. Why can’t such a commuter airline be found to offer Durangoans service to Albuquerque? I know of many locals who drive to Albuquerque for flights. It is so common that many hotels there offer guests free parking for the duration of their trip. So my question: Why can’t Durango get such air service to Albuquerque? – Richard Ruth
Dear Richard: Before we get rolling here, a couple of reminders for those making airline reservations in these post-travel agency days.
It was a great setup back then, using a travel agent: We had somebody to blame if our connections got screwed up. Now, the onus is all on us, and it’s a lot of pressure.
Now, the important reminders:
In the airline biz, using DGO will take you to Durango, Mexico. You almost certainly want to type in DRO, which is Durango, Colorado.
Similarly, COR is not Cortez, Colorado, but Cordoba, Argentina, a city of about 1.3 million in the central part of the South American country. Looks like a nice place, but for Cortez, Colorado, you’ll want to use CEZ.
Got it?
Now, to answer the question. For that, we contacted Tony Vicari, aviation director at Durango-La Plata County Airport. As one might expect, Durango-to-Albuquerque is not a flying option because nobody believes it’s profitable.
As Vicari termed it, there is “a lack of airline fit/interest in such a route. The vast majority of airline business models would not successfully support such a route.”
There are few small airline operators in the United States, he explained. Most have been “phased out of the industry over the last 20 years as the economic climate has changed. This leaves larger airlines, which don’t have a business model that fits particularly well with short-haul point-to-point service.
“For a high-volume short-haul market (say New York to Boston) this is not an issue,” he said. “For a lower volume market such as DRO-ABQ, it is a challenge.”
(ABQ is Albuquerque, not Abiquiu, but you probably knew that.)
“Short stage lengths can also be overcome if an airline is using the destination as a connecting hub and driving additional system revenue by connecting passengers onto other flights,” Vicari pointed out. “This does not work in the case of ABQ since no airlines use ABQ as a true connecting hub.”
Action Line was unaware that Cortez can support small flights to Denver and Phoenix only because of the federal Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes flights into eligible small communities that otherwise would have no viable commercial air service, Vicari said.
“Denver Air Connection (Key Lime Air) holds the current EAS contract at CEZ, and receives a $6.6 million annual subsidy to make the flights out of Cortez financially sustainable,” he said.
No commercial airline service at Durango-La Plata is subsidized.
Vicari made a pitch to use the local airport instead of driving to Albuquerque.
“When you factor in drive time (three to four hours each way), fuel, lodging and parking, we feel that a very compelling argument can be made to utilize your local regional airport,” he said.
Dear Action Line: Have you addressed the appropriate response to flashing red crosswalks? I stop at red flashing lights, essentially treat them as a stop sign. Many seem to ignore it if the seen pedestrians have crossed and drive through without even a slowdown. – Lynne
Dear Lynne: The answer is “yes,” Action Line has answered this question. But it’s now becoming apparent that not everyone reads and retains every word in every Action Line column that’s ever been written.
Is Action Line astonished?
Of course.
But for the good of the community, Action Line will bandage up a badly bruised ego and forge onward.
Really, this should be easy. The classic example is the signal for the pedestrian crossing along Camino del Rio (U.S. Highway 550) at the road we now officially call West 12th Street.
When in default mode, this signal is off. If so, go through like it’s not even there.
After a pedestrian hits the button, the light flashes yellow. That, my friends, is a yellow light and should be treated as such. Meaning: Get ready to stop.
Then it turns red. That means stop. Just. Stop. Do not go.
Then it flashes red. At that point, the light is now a stop sign. So, if approaching, you still have to stop there. But if the intersection is clear – meaning there are no harried parents pushing strollers and dragging dogs along – feel free to go through after stopping.
Lisa Schwantes, regional communications manager with CDOT, confirmed these directions. She also noted seeing Durango police pull someone over for not following the rules.
“Is it worth a ticket? Don’t be that driver,” Schwantes said. “And most importantly, think about the safety of the pedestrians and bike riders using the crosswalk. The few seconds it takes to stop and look both ways to make sure there is not a straggler walker or biker trying to get across the road, could mean you avoid a very terrible situation.”
So, that is it. That is all you need to know. Warning: There will be a pop quiz in a few weeks to make sure you were paying attention.
Email questions and suggestions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. Two weeks ago, Action Line really did give a pop quiz, then forgot last week to give the answer. The question: “Remember when we all formed a human chain on the Animas River Trail from Home Depot to 32nd Street? Name the date.” The answer: Sept. 27, 2012, and Oct. 2, 2013. So fun we did it twice (albeit with a few big gaps between people here and there).
